UT football: Davis issues apology

AUSTIN — One day after defending the illegal block that drew a personal foul penalty and a Big 12 reprimand, Texas wide receiver Mike Davis on Tuesday apologized for both his hit and his comments about how he didn’t think he’d done anything wrong.

“I would like to issue a full apology for not only the play that occurred with Deon Broomfield of Iowa State, but everything that has surrounded this issue,” Davis said in a video posted on Texas’ website. “My comments yesterday were not intended to indicate that I would ever do anything illegal or malicious, and I would never have any intent of hurting anyone or doing anything else outside of the rules.”

When he met with the media on Monday, Davis said he was glad no one was hurt when he dove at Broomfield’s knees in the third quarter of last week’s 31-30 UT victory, but said he never heard the whistle and was only trying to carry out his assigned block. Although Joe Bergeron scored on a six-yard run up the middle, UT quarterback Case McCoy also had the option of throwing a screen pass, and Davis said he was blocking to protect receiver Jaxon Shipley.

TV replays showed Davis didn’t throw his block until after Bergeron had scored and Broomfield had pulled up. On Saturday, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby issued a statement reprimanding Davis, saying, “unnecessary and illegal acts such as this have no place in the game and are unacceptable.”

When asked Monday if the reprimand would make him change his approach, Davis said it wouldn’t.

“If we have another run-pass situation, I’d do the same thing,” Davis said. “If the (defensive back) is loafing, he deserves to get cut (blocked).”

Later Monday afternoon and again on Tuesday, Davis issued statements clarifying that he meant he would only throw such a block before the whistle.